With police on hand to keep the peace at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre, both Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier made it clear there was no chance of a repeat of Monday’s fireworks. That was just fine for brash Irishman Conor McGregor, who took it upon himself to re-take the show.

McGregor declared from the start he wasn’t in California to make friends, admitting he didn’t much care for the city and would prefer to be back home in Dublin.

McGregor (15-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Dustin Poirier (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) meet at UFC 178, which takes place on Sept. 27 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. The featherweight matchup airs on the pay-per-view-broadcast main card and could potentially serve as the co-main event of the night, though UFC officials said that’s not set in stone just yet.

In his three UFC fights to date, McGregor has proven not only a talented fighter but also one of the most talented self-promoters in the sport. Of course, when Jones and Cormier came to blows at Monday’s press event in Las Vegas, those two firmly grabbed the spotlight. Twenty-four hours later, the tension between the two had mutated into some type of bizarre friendliness, a mood no doubt spurned on by hours and hours of shared interview time, as well as a stern warning from both the UFC and Nevada State Athletic Commission.

McGregor seized the opportunity to turn up the heat.

“This is who I am,” McGregor said. “I like to look good and whoop ass. It’s what I do best. I’m not trying to be nobody but me and on Sept. 27, I’ll rip Dustin’s head clean off. It makes no difference that it’s a little pea head.

“Dustin’s all talk. Dustin thinks it’s all talk, but when he wakes up with his nose plastered on the other side of his face, he’s going to know it’s not all talk.”

Poirier remained calm throughout the 45-minute-long session, preferring to let his fist do the talking at UFC 178. The 25-year-old American Top Team fighter did say despite the hype surrounding the contest, he doesn’t necessarily believe it’s his toughest opponent to date.

“If Conor could fight half as good as he could speak, I think it would be,” Poirier said.

McGregor didn’t limit his wit to attacks on Poirier, as Dennis Siver’s recent comments were brought to the table. The German featherweight, who is currently serving a suspension after testing positive for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), recently questioned McGregor’s position ahead of him in the UFC’s official rankings. The Irishman had a quick reply when asked his opinion.

“My thoughts on Dennis Siver are: He’s a midget German steroid head,” McGregor said. “That’s my thoughts on him, so I don’t have any thoughts other than that. … But if you think I celebrate No. 9, you’re highly mistaken my friend. I don’t give a s–t about rankings. As far as I’m concerned, I’m No. 1. And when Dustin’s head clatters off that canvas, they’ll realize. They’ll realize pretty soon.”

Of course, as meteoric as McGregor’s rise has been, Poirier will certainly represent his toughest test to date. Poirier currently boasts a three-fight winning streak, and both share a common opponent – Diego Brandao, who suffered first-round losses to both fighters.

When asked to evaluate his opponent, McGregor briefly seemed to offer an olive branch. But that peace-offering was snapped before it was even fully extended.

“Don’t get me wrong; I like the kid,” McGregor said. “He’s a quiet little hillbilly from the back-ass of nowhere. I’ve nothing against the guy. I’m sure he grew up in a circus or a farm. He’s a nice little kid. His cousin is probably named Cletus or something.

“I don’t know. He’s a nice kid, but his chin is getting cracked, and it’s going to be cracked early.”

With an impressive win, McGregor would certainly earn himself an even bigger fight. The bold slugger certainly has the swagger of a future champion, and he often details a vision that would see him become UFC champion before year’s end. The next step comes at UFC 178, but McGregor thinks it’s going to be a one-sided beatdown.

“His chin is deteriorating,” McGregor said of Poirier. “Every single contest he gets in, he hits one knee. A gust of wind, and he does the chicken dance. Coming up against me, that’s not going to be good.

“I’m going to crack him with a jab and he’s going to wobble, and I’m going to put him away early. It’s going to be a first-round KO. Mark my words.”